My Old Friend
by nohbody2
Summary: Helga notices something has gone wrong between Godric, Salazar, and Rowena. She decides to approach Salazar in an attempt to resolve the problem, but is it too late to save these once great friendships?


Founders - Helga and Salazar.

Contrary to popular belief, Helga and Salazar actually got along quite well. Helga would even go so far as to call them very good friends. And while Salazar would never admit it, there was once a time when he would wholeheartedly agree.

For while they were indeed polar opposites, Helga could see the good in him, buried beneath his thick layer of armor, and she could often coax this goodness out. Salazar meanwhile felt that he could, for once, let his guard down. Of course he loved a battle of wits with Rowena and a game of chess with Godric, but with Helga he could truly relax. He didn't have to be constantly worrying about betrayal or defeat or a usurpation of his power when in the company of Helga. She kept her intentions as clear as glass and he knew she was loyal through and through.

It was because of this once great friendship that Helga felt no fear when she knocked on Salazar's door one afternoon, despite his recent moody and almost cruel behavior.

"Enter. It's not as if I could keep you out, Rowena." Salazar called in a tired yet harsh tone. "You know every unlocking spell there is and are probably working creating on sev - " He stopped mid sentence upon realizing who had entered his quarters.

"Good afternoon, Salazar." Helga said with a warm smile. "Expecting someone else?"

"What is your business here." He demanded, turning back to the parchment he had been pouring over before she entered. Helga noted with a bit of worry that his desk was much messier than usual, his whole quarters were in fact and there was a stale smell permeating the room.

"Do I need a reason to visit my friend?" She asked, as she sat down in the chair across from him.

"Don't lie, who sent you here?" He asked not even looking up from his papers.

"I act of of own accord. But you are correct in assuming that I - will you look at me for goodness sakes? I'm trying to have a conversation." She said huffily, when he continued to write on his parchment.

"And I'm trying to work." He retorted cooly while scribbling something more on his papers.

"Oh come now, it's the middle of summer. All the children are gone, what could you possibly be working on?" When he did not reply and continued to ignore her, she took out her wand and pointed it at the papers. They flew towards her and she caught them easily.

"Helga!" Salazar exclaimed angrily. "How dare you?"

"You weren't paying attention. It's quite rude to do that, you know." She said with a playful smirk.

"You're treating me like a child!"

"Only because you're acting like one." She replied in a matter-of-fact manner.

Salazar's eyes narrowed as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms angrily.

"I'll give these back once we're done." Helga said, putting them on the table in front of her. "And don't worry, I won't look at them." She added when she saw Salazar open his mouth to protest.

"Very well." He agreed grudgingly. "Now, what brings you here?"

"I wish I could say I only came to spend the afternoon with my friend, but unfortunately it is not so." All the previous cheer seemed to have left Helga and she toyed nervously with the hem of her sleeve. "What's gone wrong, Salazar? I can tell there's something you lot have been hiding from me, perhaps there're even parts which you have hidden from each other. Godric and Rowena both seem disheartened, but you most of all. It's worrying me, Salazar."

"Oh really?" He asked sarcastically.

"Salazar, I urge you to tell me what's troubling you." She pleaded. "You've only joined us for dinner once this week, you and Godric have clearly been avoiding each other, I caught Rowena crying in the corridor the other day, Godric hasn't been eating nearly as much, you haven't once gone outside to enjoy the beautiful weather, and to put it lightly, all of you been acting like our most obstinate fourth years!" She finished in a huff.

"If you're so worried, why don't you go to Godric? He is the brave and strong hero after all." Salazar spit out.

"You think I haven't? I've approached both Rowena and Godric multiple times. I wanted to wait to speak with you, to give you time to heal by yourself and sort out your problems in solitude, as you so often do. But it seems I was wrong. I shouldn't have waited...This is tearing us apart and I can hardly bear it!" Her eyes sparkled with tears but she took a deep breath. "I didn't want to push myself into your affairs but I fear this is the only way, something must be done...Salazar, is...is this about Rowena?" She asked hesitantly, chewing on her lip nervously.

Salazar's face blanched. "How did you know that?" He asked in a whisper.

"I guessed." She admitted truthfully.

"No...no you didn't..._you_ couldn't have...not _you_...we were too careful..." While he muttered mostly to himself, Helga felt a stab of pain from the way he said 'you couldn't have', as though she wasn't clever enough to figure it out. "Then how could you know..." His eyes widened. "No...he couldn't have...but he did!"

"Salazar?" Helga asked cautiously, reaching out her hand to touch his, but he recoiled from her.

"Godric sent you!" He yelled, pointing his finger at her as though accusing her of the most heinous crime. "Just like he convinced Rowena to go to him! He turned you against me!"

"What?" She asked incredulously. "No he didn't. No one sent me!"

"You dare lie to _me_?"

"I'm not lying!" She insisted.

"I can't believe that you would deceive me so! You who honor trust and loyalty above all else!" He exclaimed, slamming his hands onto the table

"You're correct!" She cried, slamming her palms down as well. "I do honor those things and you shouldn't believe it! It doesn't make any sense at all! It's absolutely absurd that I would go behind your back! Salazar, how many times must I tell you? You can trust me! I'm your friend!"

Salazar was shocked, Helga rarely exploded like that.

She took a few deep breaths and then continued in a much calmer voice. "Salazar, I was not sent here by Godric. He refused to speak to me for he believed that you had sent me. Godric realized that he was wrong but he was still to proud to talk with me or to even admit outright that he had been incorrect. I implore you to not be as foolish as Godric. I care deeply for all of you, but you are each letting your pride get in the way of talking this out and fixing it. Please Salazar, I care so very much for all of you. Let me help you. Tell me what's wrong."

Salazar examined the blonde woman in front of him. He could tell that she spoke the truth.

He let out a long breath and spoke. "Godric has stolen that which is rightfully mine."

Helga sighed with relief at his compliance before replying.

"I assume you mean Rowena?" She asked, while pulling out her wand and waving it. A pot of tea and two cups appeared.

"Yes. Godric always seems to need to be better than me, to triumph in every which way." As he spoke angrily, Helga put a splash of milk in one of the cups and poured in the tea. Then, she sliced a sugar cube in half with her wand and plopped one half in. She stirred it three times counterclockwise and then half a stir clockwise.

"Here." she said offering him the cup. "Just the way you like it." She added with a smile.

She was correct, of course. Helga knew exactly how each of them liked their tea. As he took a sip, he could tell that once again, she had prepared it to perfection.

"So you feel as though Godric has 'stolen' Rowena?" She asked as she prepared her own cup (tea first, then a large splash of milk and three sugar cubes).

"Yes. He always tries to take what I desire, what is rightfully mine. And to top it all off, did you know Godric's grandfather was a mudblood?"

"I didn't. I'm not surprised though, that's very common. However, I don't see how that relates to this conversation."

"It means his blood is impure." He said, looking almost disgusted. "Which means Rowena is sullying herself by consorting with someone descended from muggle filth. My blood, however, is pure. I am superior to Godric, yet Rowena fails to see this. She is foolish."

"Salazar!" Helga reprimanded. "How could you say such things about your friends?"

"Those of impure ancestry are no friends of mine." He replied cooly.

"Come now, you're only saying that out of jealously. You don't honestly believe all that codswallop!"

"Why can't Rowena see this? She is mine and that filthy man stole her!" He continued his angry tirade, appearing to not hear Helga. "She must learn who her owner is." He finished with a dark look in his eyes.

Helga looked slightly uneasy now. "Salazar...Rowena is not a trophy or a prize to be won. She is a person in her own right. You must realize that this concerns three people who are all equals and have the right to their own choices."

"Don't lecture me on things you cannot understand. A woman and a man of impure ancestry are not my equals. Rowena is mine and nothing Godric does can change that! They both must understand who owns her!" He spit out angrily.

"Salazar!" Helga exclaimed, her face a mixture of shock, anger, and hurt. "Rowena has every right to chose whichever lover she desires, whether it be you or Godric. And personally, with the way you're acting, I wouldn't be surprised if she chose Godric!" Helga regretted saying those words the moment they came out of her mouth. While perhaps it was the truth, it was not the right thing to say; especially to Salazar of all people.

"How dare you!"

"Salazar, I - "

"You're a foolish and ignorant woman!"

"I'm sorry! I only wanted to help - "

"Helga, why can't you ever accept that something isn't your business?" He yelled angrily, knocking his chair down as he stood up. "You're always meddling where you're not wanted and pushing yourself into others' private affairs!"

"Anything that concerns the welfare of my friends immediately becomes my business!" She cried, standing up as well. "You're hurting each other and all I wish to do is help!"

"Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps your endless wisdom and help is not wanted?" He asked cruelly, with a dark sneer. "That perhaps the people who aren't living in your perfect world of cheer and smiles don't want your foolish and naive lessons on friendship and love? That perhaps they don't even care? That perhaps they wish your fanciful ideals gone? Or that just maybe they wish you gone with them?!"

Helga's eyes filled with tears and her voice shook as she spoke. "When I came here, I wished only to help my old friend Salazar. But I cannot find him within the man before me. I fear my dear friend is gone forever." She turned and fled from his quarters. Salazar could hear her cries echoing in the long, stone corridors that the four of them had built together. That day seemed so very long ago.

Salazar returned to his desk and grabbed his parchment from where she had left it. Glancing at his table he saw that she had forgotten her cup of tea. He knocked it to the floor and turned back to his papers.

As the sweet and milky tea spilled over the floor, Salazar ignored it and continued working on his papers, although with an added fervor.

.

.

.

Late that night, when Salazar finally headed off to bed, he accidentally stepped on the small tea cup. The fragile thing was completely crushed but Salazar did not care, for he had finally finished his work and he was filled with joy for the first time in months.

With the plans which he'd toiled over for months complete, it would only take him a few short weeks to construct his design. Then all his plans would come to fruition.

Salazar smirked darkly as he glanced back at his desk upon which his plans lay.

Then, he spoke. It was naught more than a light whisper, but the words were laced with venom and yet also a sick delight.

"The Chamber of Secrets will be opened, enemies of Salazar beware."

**A/N: This story came out of my friend and I brainstorming founders headcanons and her writing some one-shots. However, most of the attention was focused on Rowena, Godric, and Salazar, so I decided that we needed something with Helga in it. And then this happened! I hope you enjoyed reading it! **

**Please review!**


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